Reconciling work & family life

As one of the largest employers in Austria, the University of Vienna strives to support its staff in reconciling job and family duties. The following website provides information about the University of Vienna's offers and services related to the reconciliation of work and family life.

Childcare & services

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General information

For working fathers and mothers, access to high-quality childcare services is one of the core prerequisites to be able to meet the daily challenges of reconciling work and family life. This does not only include permanent childcare facilities, but also short-term and flexible forms of childcare, e.g. during holidays or when a child falls ill.

The University of Vienna, the City of Vienna and (funded) private institutions offer a wide range of high-quality childcare services.

Permanent childcare

Day care groups of the Children’s Office (University of Vienna)

The Children’s Office of the University of Vienna runs five care groups at three different locations. The care groups are open to children whose parents are employed at the University of Vienna. The Children’s Office offers half-day or full-day care groups for children from 0 to 6 years of age (until they reach school age).

Those needing childcare services are entered in a list. The places are primarily assigned to staff of the University of Vienna. Any remaining places are made available to students of the University of Vienna.

Childcare in Vienna

Since 2009, children aged 0 to 6 years have been eligible to attend municipal kindergartens for free. Private kindergartens, care groups and childminders receive funding, enabling them to offer places free of charge as well. Kindergarten attendance is compulsory for children who have reached the age of 5 before 1 September of the current calendar year and whose main residence is in Vienna.

Registration for a place in a childcare facility: All the information you need about how and when you can register your child at a public or private childcare facility (nursery, care group, daycare centre) and about specific topics and service centres for childcare in your district is available here (in German).

Location of childcare facilities in Vienna: Thismap (in German) shows all public and private childcare facilities in Vienna.

Kinderuni holidays

The Kinderuni holidays target children aged 7 to 12. Its goal is to increase children’s interest in the academic world and research in an informal way. The children are supervised throughout the whole day or week (with or without sleepover). The schedule not only focuses on academic knowledge and research, but also includes activities, sports and games. Upon application, reduced fees are granted to children of employees of the University of Vienna.

Vienna Children's University

University life at the Vienna Children’s University is almost like a real university. The only difference is that the students are slightly younger: between 7 and 12 years. Similar to real universities, the students of the Vienna Children’s University have the opportunity to choose lectures from a wide range of disciplines. Children can attend the Children’s University on only one or on several days. Participating in the programme of the Vienna Children’s University is free of charge.

Childcare on long weekends

In cooperation with the Works Council of the Scientific Staff, the Works Council for the General University Staff of the University of Vienna organises childcare services for school holidays that fall on a workday.

Summer holiday week

University employees have the opportunity to use the childcare services offered during the summer holiday week. This summer holiday week targets children of University employees aged 3 to 12. Due to the financial cooperation between the two works councils (for the general university staff and the scientific staff), the participation fees are very low.

FleKuKi - Flexible short-term childcare at the University of Vienna

FleKuKi is a flexible short-time childcare service for children, provided for employees of the University of Vienna. FleKuKi serves to provide ad hoc childcare by the hour in case of acute gaps in the provision of childcare caused by occupational obligations and a lack of childcare.

This service is financed by the Human Resources and Gender Equality unit. Childcare is provided by the qualified “Flying Nannies” personnel of the Vienna University Children’s Office. Flying Nannies are trained childcare professionals who provide childcare on site and wherever they are needed. They create spaces for children to play, let off steam, have fun and relax.

Flying Nannies during events/conferences

The “Flying Nanny” service provides flexible childcare where and when needed. The Vienna University Children’s Office organises childcare during seminars, conferences, meetings, etc. Childcare slots are provided according to your needs.

In cooperation with the Vienna University Children’s Office, the Human Resources Development unit provides childcare for the duration of seminars and coaching sessions. This service is free of charge for employees of the University of Vienna.

If you are interested in this service, please send an e-mail to Human Resources Development as soon as you have received the final confirmation for the seminar. Please make sure you include your supervision needs (number and age of the children, supervision hours) as well as your contact details (e-mail address and/or telephone number) in this e-mail.

Borrowing toy backpacks

Parents sometimes find themselves in a situation where they have to bring their child along to their university workplace: the kindergarten is closed, the grandparents are on holiday or the babysitter is ill. You have to attend an important meeting or seminar and ask yourself: How can I keep my child meaningfully occupied in the meantime?

Employees and students of the University of Vienna can borrow backpacks filled with toys at different locations to make the time fly by for their child. The toy backpacks are available for two age groups (3-5 years and 6-10 years) and are filled with jigsaw puzzles, toy blocks, finger puppets, crayons and much more. You can take the backpack along to the lecture hall, the meeting room or to your office. You can borrow the toy backpacks directly at the special libraries, without prior registration and free of charge.

Nursing care for family members

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General information

When family members depend on care, many new issues arise, including the question of how to reconcile work and care responsibilities. This page provides you with a brief overview of labour law-related possibilities and central contact points in Vienna.

Dependant care leave

If employees of the University of Vienna are not able to come to the office because they have to care for family members who live in the same household and have fallen ill, they are entitled to take dependant care leave.

Employees have the opportunity to agree on a care leave or part-time care leave for a duration of 1 to 3 months with their employer. This is an interim measure to relieve employees who have to care for family members or to allow them to take control of the care situation. For the purpose of end-of-life care or care for seriously ill children, employees have the opportunity to take a family hospice leave. In both cases, you may be entitled to Pflegekarenzgeld (care leave allowance) under certain conditions.

People who receive nursing care and support services on a permanent basis are entitled to care allowance. The amount of care allowance depends on the care needs. The application for care allowance has to be submitted to the relevant pension or social insurance provider.

The Fonds Soziales Wien is the main contact point for issues relating to nursing care and support in Vienna and takes care of issues pertaining to nursing care and support on behalf of the City of Vienna. These include the processing and payment of financial support for care places, referrals to nursing care services (mobile/inpatient care, 24-hour care, etc.), counselling services and more. General information about nursing care is available on the website of the Sozialministeriumsservice.